Friday, January 1, 2010

Scones & Sensibility by Lindsay Eland

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Release Date: December 22, 2009
Language: English
Source: Publisher

Synopsis: Seek tirelessly and you shall not find a contemporary heroine of middle-grade literature as refined and romantic as Miss Polly Madassa. Still swooning over the romantic conclusions of Pride & Prejudice and Anne of Green Gables, twelve-year-old Polly decides her purpose in life: helping along lonely hearts in search of love. Polly's only task this summer is to make deliveries for her parents' bakery, leaving ample time for this young cupid to find hearts to mend--beginning with the kite-store owner, Mr. Nightquist, who will pair perfectly with Miss Wiskerton (the unfairly labeled town curmudgeon). Polly's best friend Fran Fisk is in desperate need of a mother ever since hers ran off with a man she met on the Internet; Polly must find a match for Mr. Fisk. And while she's at it, it wouldn't hurt to find Clementine, Polly's teenaged sister, a beau worthy of her (so she can shed that brute, Clint). Polly's plans are in full swing, so she definitely cannot be bothered by the advances of classmate Brad Barker. But maybe Polly should have turned her attention to Miss Austen's Emma next, because she quickly learns the pitfalls of playing matchmaker. How will Polly patch up her own relationships, while ensuring that destined love can take its course?

Some might find Polly's narration to be irksome and exaggerated but I thought it was cute-her penchant for speaking old-fashioned English (using terms like "bosom friend", for example) showed how appealing she found the classical worlds of Pride & Prejudice and Anne of Green Gables. Her inclination towards romanticism quickly gets the best of her as she becomes convinced that it is her responsibility to become a match-maker, uniting lonely hearts in search of true love. She uses her family's bakery and her "knowledge" of romance from her books to aid her in this quest. She meddles in many people's lives, including her older sister (who has an odious brute of a boyfriend) and her best friend's father (who's heart was broken after his wife left him) all in the sake of her "mission"; her good intentions, however, lead her to make disastrous mistakes and at the same time our little match-maker is dealing with with her own romantic problems.

Polly's antics had me smiling, wincing and shaking my head as the novel progressed. Her intentions were good-she wanted to help people but her dogged determination made Polly see things her way and that frustrated me to no end! She wouldn't listen to anyone until she realized that she messed up big-time and then she decided to fix the problems she created. This is, I think, what draws the line between people that like/dislike the book. However, once I got used to Polly's stubborn streak I found myself wondering how things would end up for her, her best friend Fran and everyone else that Polly tried to "help". Luckily, things end on a happy (and slightly predictable) note. Overall, Lindsay Eland's Scones & Sensibility was a charming, enjoyable read with a main character that's sure to entertain those of the middle-grade audience. (My inner tween certainly liked Polly!)

Rating: 4.0

16 comments:

  1. Well, as a Janeite and an Anne of Green Gables fan, this one sounds like fun! I'm hoping to sponsor a giveaway sometime! ;)

    Thanks for the review

    Laura Hartness
    The Calico Critic
    CalicoCritic@gmail.com

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  2. I really want to read it, looks pretty good, and the cover is so cute ^.^
    Nice review!

    Happy New Year!

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  3. The stubborness would irritate me beyond reason. I'm not good with these kinds of stories. But great review. Just wondering, what made you decide to read this?

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  4. It sounds so cute. I might pick it up sometimes (or bribe my sister to and then read it myself).

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  5. Eee she uses the term "bosom friend"? She is MY bosom friend for that! Hehe. I love Anne's funny terms and I think I would REALLY like this book. Thanks for the review!

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  6. Nice review! I've been wanting to read this one for a while. Glad to see that you enjoyed it. :)

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  7. I want to read it too- sounds like fun

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  8. Thanks for stopping by my blog earlier! I just re-read my earlier comment here and realized that I kind of worded the last part of it wrong. I'd love to host a giveaway of the book, but maybe after I win it somewhere, read & post a review! ;)

    I also looked over your New Years Resolutions post-- wow! 2010 is going to be an awesome year.

    Laura Hartness
    The Calico Critic

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  9. Ah, well that makes sense. I do that with Edgar Allen Poe, though. That guy fascinates me, so if I catch even a hint of him in another book, I'll read it.

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  10. Sounds very nice! I love the cover of this book. It also sounds a little bit like Emma by Jane Austen, very cool. :)

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  11. Aw, this sounds so sweet. Definitely on the TBR pile! :)

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  12. It's been a while since I've read a book like this. I've been reading tons of serious action/suspense novels. I can't WAIT to read something like this. :)

    -Briana

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  13. Ooh, I haven't read this one. It sounds so cute, hehe. I always see characters like Polly on TV, the way she tries to fix things after everything's gone wrong. But I want to read this one. :D

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  14. This sounds so cute! :D
    Awardforyouawardforyou http://runningforfiction.blogspot.com/2010/01/honest-scrap-award.html

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  15. Aww, this sounds cute. hehe. (Just realised everyone's written that) - But it does. :D Love anything to do with Austen so must pick this up. :D

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